Making the Leap
by dolphinsramazing
Summary: One shot using Deana Carter's "How Do I Get There?" in terms of the BB relationship. Just had to come out!


**I heard this song for the first time and the first thought that popped into my head was "Bones!" This song fits them perfectly. The song is "How Do I Get There?" by Deana Carter, and of course all Bones characters belong to Fox. **

**~Dolphinsramazing~**

Special Agent Seeley Booth was sprawled out across the extravagant couch in his partner's living room, his colorfully socked feet dangling over the precipice. His eyes were closed tightly shut, but his sleep was feigned- he was wide awake. His biological clock had been taught long ago to stay in a light sleep, and Brennan's snoring, albeit soft (and endearing), prevented him from entering the peaceful world. He slowly arose from the couch, his feet making no sound on the plush beige carpet.

Brennan was still fast asleep on the couch, and he stole a quick glance at the modern analog clock in the corner of the room. It took him a few seconds to decipher the time, but he settled upon 1:35 A.M. He shook his head at the oddity of the scenario- two partners in one of their apartment at such a late hour, but it fit them. It was a common occurrence, in fact, but it was often retiring to his apartment due to its proximity to both the J. Edgar Hoover building and the Jeffersonian. He decided to take advantage of his partner being asleep and rifle through her things. Harmless fun, he said to himself. Maybe unearth a portion of her latest manuscript, though the chance of that was scarce to none- she was very protective of her writing, especially when it was unperfected.

He entered the room down the hall he knew was her office. It was surprisingly cluttered, considering the impeccable nature of its counterpart at the Jeffersonian. There were unfinished files about bones hundreds years old scattered around, her cup of writing utensils spilled on the floor, her iPod touch plugged into her iHome...wait, Bones had an iPod? He only was able to identify it because he had bought Parker one for his last birthday at the boy's strong insistence. Hers, the newest model, was covered in a red and black case adorned with tiny skulls. His curiosity overwhelmed him, and he quickly began to search through her songs. Flashing brightly on the screen "Now Playing" emblazoned above it was a song he had never heard of "How Do I Get There" by Deana Carter.

Suddenly, blasting music echoed through the apartment, the source being the advanced radio at his fingertips. He instinctively turned the volume dial to silent, but it was too late. He could hear Brennan stirring in the other room and knew he was caught red-handed. He put the radio on again, though at a more controlled volume. She entered the office, obviously still groggy, her clothes wrinkled, her eyes puffy and red, and her disheveled hair coming out of its messy ponytail. He would never admit it out loud, but she looked so cute when she just woke up. She would take him out if he voiced that opinion- cute was not an adjective that was permissible to be used in conjunction with her name. Trying to avert his gaze from her, he turned his attention to the lyrics of the song.

_We've always been the best of friends  
No secrets and no demands _

A crimson blush spread across Brennan's usually pale face as she mentally identified the song. Of all the songs she had on there, he had to choose the one that embarrass her the most- she guessed that it was just a knack of his. Thankfully, he was too enthralled in the song to be looking at her, or worse, mocking her, though he would never do that.

Booth was analyzing the lyrics, because it sounded like the couple in the song was oddly like him and Brennan, and they were certainly a unique (and dynamic) duo. He realized how pathetic he was, specifically the fact that he really had no male friends anymore. She took up so much of his time that his male bonding time had been erased from his schedule. If he really wanted to push it, he could call Hodgins a friend, but that would involve being able to remain lucid when in a conversation with said person. He remembered saying the words- "I'm glad we don't have any secrets". How untrue he realized it was now; he was hiding the biggest secret possible from her.

_But suddenly from somewhere out of the blue  
I see a different light around you _

He tried to pinpoint the time he had fallen in love with her. Maybe it was that first moment he set eyes on her- he had known from that instant that she would turn his life upside down one way or another. How true that had turned out to be. Maybe it was when she was kidnapped by Kenton- he had felt that ache in his chest, and it wasn't just because of his numerous injuries. He had yearned for her, he had hurt for her. Maybe it was when she buried by the Gravedigger. Every time he closed his eyes, he had seen her underground, running out of air, a desperate expression on her face. When he knew it, though, when he admitted it to himself, was not to be questioned- it was right before he went into surgery for his brain tumor. That whole "live like you're dying" concept certainly hit home for him right then- he wanted to admit it to her so bad, but he couldn't add another burden to her overwhelmed shoulders.

The way he saw her was slightly idealistic, almost angelic. Despite all her shortcomings (most trivial), he thought of her as perfect. Yes, she had skeletons in her closet, just like him, but he had dwelled on them for years, whereas she had moved on- for the most part. _  
One thing I haven't told you, I just want to hold you  
And never let go, I need to know _

His dreams were big when it pertained to her. He liked to imagine them as a happily married couple with two to four children, usually precocious fraternal twins with his dark hair and her piercing blue eyes- what a striking combination. Parker had moved in with them, the arrangement for such different each time. He would come home to his family each and every night, instead of an empty apartment with a beer bottle greeting him.

They would curl up on the couch- the house and furnishings wouldn't be too lavish, and maybe watch a movie. She could finally see Star Wars. He would wrap his arms around her, and she would cuddle into him; though her nature didn't seem to be that of a cuddler, you never know. The couple would wake up like that in the morning and be reluctant to tear themselves apart from each other. _  
How do I get there from here  
How do I make you see _

_How do I tell you what my heart's been tellin' me  
Lost in your lovin' arms that's where I wanna be  
You know I love you  
How do I get there_

But he had made that horrible mistake, that dreadful quantifier that had haunted his dreams ever since. "In an atta-girl way". Now, even if he admitted his true feelings, the chance was slim that she would believe him. She would just, in her usual callous manner in dealing with feelings, shake him off and change the subject, leaving him wounded and broken hearted. Now they were "just partners".

Was there another way to show his affection for her? He had tried every trick in the book that he knew, but her obliviousness, intentional or otherwise, allowed her to miss each and every hint. A compliment on her clothes, a tousling of her hair, a brush of his feet against her legs, holding hands as they ran out of the lab, paying her endless and unnecessary compliments, reassuring her when she was vulnerable, building her up when she needed it, he had attempted it all, and she had never made a move in return.

Every time he got too close to her, his heart leapt inside his chest, and he thought she could hear the rapid beating. His palms would get sweaty, but he was usually able to keep himself composed. It seemed as if his body was crying out to him to "tell her", but he blocked out the signals it sent.

Did she know of his feelings for her and just didn't reciprocate? There were times when he saw an amused glint in her eye, a mischievous smile on her face, when he flirted shamelessly with her. What allowed her to make conclusions was evidence. Wasn't there enough? Let's see…he had taken a bullet for her, killed people to save her precious life, saved her from bodily harm numerous times, and of course there was all the emotional stuff. What else could that add up to?

_You've probably think I've lost my mind  
Takin' this chance crossin' that line _

Sometimes, she stared at him like he was crazy when he came out with those radical ideas, sometimes about faith and religion (which he honestly thought he was turning her around on), but usually about the eternal and transfixing nature of love. He hoped beyond all hope that she wanted to believe in it, that she wanted to fall in love. Because if it was against her will, stubborn as she is, he had not a chance.

That line. Another one of his deepest regrets. "Every single day it's with us, there's this line and we can't cross it, you know what I'm saying?" He had wanted to take back those words the second they left his lips. They had been uttered in haste following the near-death of his then-girlfriend and closest friends. He had meant for it to be an excuse for his breakup with Cam, but pitiful as it was, it was conveyed as something else- that he didn't want to pursue a relationship with her because they were colleagues, partners. He thought the damage had been erased when Angela and Hodgins got engaged- a successful relationship between two people who saw each other at work every day, their work not affected adversely by it, but when the wedding plans fell through, he was back to square one. _  
But I promise to be truer than true  
Dreaming every night with these arms around you_

_I can't wait any longer this feeling's gettin' stronger help me find a way  
_Booth had never cheated on any one of his girlfriends- at least not in the physical sense. Unbeknownst to him, his heart had belonged to another for the past five years, and any girlfriends during this span of this time were in truth just flings. Brennan had always taken precedence, and that had perturbed them after a while. He wanted his breakup with Tessa on his terms, but they both knew it was over because of her. And just like Cam had said, neither of them expected their relationship to end in happily ever after or anything. It was just good clean fun. But with her, his thoughts would never wander for a minute- she would keep him perpetually occupied and satisfied, in more ways than one. _  
_Sometimes he just couldn't resist the temptation and found himself ogling her, a smile on his face. He didn't want to leave her at night, he was afraid for her to go out on her own. He didn't want to stifle her independence, but in the same breath he wanted to protect her, to keep her safe. The urge was stronger now than ever. _  
How do I get there from here _

_How do I make you see  
How do I tell you what my heart's been tellin' me  
Lost in your lovin' arms that's where I wanna be  
You know I love you  
How do I get there  
I know the shortest distance between two points is a straight line  
But I'll climb any mountain that you want me to climb  
The perfect combination is your heart and mine  
Darlin' won't you give me a sign _

He could picture her saying something like that if he suggested a course of action that might not be the most practical, the most direct. Usually he knew that it was the best idea to tread lightly because it was sensitive to whomever it might concern. Maybe it was breaking the news to a distraught family left behind; maybe it was obtaining a confession from a wary suspect. Subtlety wasn't exactly her specialty, and her directness tended to be quite ruthless. Some appreciated it, but mostly squints, who also had no problem with "multiple partners".

He would do anything for her. As he had told her, he would kill for her and die for her, and he had, well not the latter exactly. Without a thought, he would follow her to the ends of the earth and beyond, leaving everything he knew and loved to stay with her.

They were entirely complementary. Sweets, for one, he knew, believed they were opposites, but anyone who really knew them knew that they fit together perfectly, like puzzle pieces, filling in each other's weaknesses and countering the others strength. It wasn't a likely match- her empiricism, his instinct, her feminist attitude, his chauvinism, her social awkwardness, his people skills, you could go on forever. But there were things they shared- the drive to apprehend killers, their damaged pasts, and their love for each other.

_How do I get there from here  
How do I make you see  
How do I tell you what my heart's been tellin' me  
Lost in you lovin' arms that's where I wanna be  
You know I love you  
How do I get there_

The last notes of the song rang out through the room, and she sat down on the floor, preparing for an interrogation as to why this song was on her iPod. She had manufactured a quite believable lie- blame it on Angela. It did seem plausible- Angela would do anything to push her and Booth together, not that she would mind that very much. She wished for once, to be the girl as Angela was always telling her to be, to let him make the first move. But she was tired of waiting- she had been waiting her whole life for the right one, and now she believed she had finally found her soul mate in Booth. She never thought she would be sitting here contemplating soul mates, but that was a testament to how far she had come in the last five years.

Booth had pressed the button to turn off the iHome, and was walking around the room dazedly, his gaze finally resting on her. Instead of becoming accusatory and extracting from her the origin of the song, his face softened.

"Bones, I'm done with this waiting game. I'm going to tell you something, and you're going to listen closely, okay?" he asked rhetorically. In truth, she actually didn't mind being bossed around occasionally, as long as it was by him and not some other cocky alpha male.

"Bones, I love you. I've loved you for who the hell knows how long, but it's time for me to tell you. Life's too short, and you need to know that. I don't know if you reciprocate my feelings or not, and that doesn't matter." He said. A look of shock appeared on her face- that was the last thing she expected him to say.

"Booth, I love you too," she said simply, and he pulled her into one of their no longer called guy hugs, and letting go didn't seem to be anywhere down the road.

**Whew! Hope you liked it! As always, don't hesitate to review with any suggestions and/or comments.**

**~Dolphins~**


End file.
